Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 97, Shloka 22
भरतागमनशङ्कानिवारणम् / Dispelling Suspicion about Bharata’s Arrival
Chitrakuta Encampment
अथवा नौ ध्रुवं मन्ये मन्यमान स्सुखोचितौ।वनवासमनुध्याय गृहाय प्रतिनेष्यति।।।।
athavā nau dhruvaṃ manye manyamānaḥ sukhocitau | vanavāsam anudhyāya gṛhāya pratineṣyati ||
あるいは――確かにそうだ――我らの森の住まいを思い、我らが安楽に慣れていると見なして、家へ連れ戻そうと来られたのだ。
Or rather having thought of the adversities of dwelling in a forest and also by realising that both of us are accustomed to comforts, I think he has certainly come to take us back home.
FAQs
Dharma is portrayed as a conscious choice beyond comfort: the contrast between ‘sukhocita’ life and forest hardship highlights commitment to duty over ease.
Rāma hypothesizes that the arriving party may intend to end their exile, reasoning that elders may worry about their hardship.
Rāma’s discernment and self-awareness—he acknowledges hardship and how others may perceive their capacity to endure it.